Effect on plaque removal and gingivitis of a triclosan-copolymer pre-brush rinse: a six-month clinical study in Canada.

The effect on plaque removal and gingivitis of using a pre-brush rinse containing 0.03 per cent triclosan (Irgacare MP, Ciba-Geigy Corp.) and 0.125 per cent of a copolymer of polyvinylmethyl ether and maleic acid over a six-month period, versus using a matching placebo pre-brush rinse, was assessed in this clinical study. Subjects were instructed to rinse their mouths for one minute, twice daily (morning and evening), with 15 mL of their assigned pre-brush rinse. Immediately after rinsing, subjects brushed their teeth for 30 seconds using the dentifrice and toothbrush supplied to them at the outset. Subjects were instructed to refrain from any other oral hygiene procedures throughout the duration of the study. Plaque and gingivitis examinations were conducted after three months and again after six months. At the conclusion of the study (six months), the triclosan/copolymer pre-brush rinse demonstrated an advantage of 24.8 per cent for plaque removal and a 22.1 per cent reduction in gingivitis, when compared to the matching placebo pre-brush rinse. These advantages in plaque removal and gingivitis reduction were statistically significant. The six-month effect of the triclosan/copolymer pre-brush rinse was even greater on "the more difficult to brush" surfaces of the teeth, as determined by the use of the Plaque Severity Index and the Gingivitis Severity Index.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)